Souvenir prices

[atheneze]

I am interested in going on a Christmas market River Cruise along the Danube with a pre-cruise tour in Prague. I just wanna know what souvenirs do most cruisers get and how much they are. Pictures would be lovely, too. Thank you very much.:):):)

[squarevanman]

I think the answer is horses for courses it just depends on each person and who they wish to buy for. On my Venice and Po trip in August I purchased a full Roma FC kit for my grandson as he is called Roman cost €69 a thimble from every place visited for myself cost no more than €4 each and 2 glass figures for female friends cost €8 each. It just so happens my circle of family and friends do not go in for ott souvenir purchases as most (excludes me) pop over to Europe 3 or 4 times a year.

[notamermaid]

I got a small white china vase with black and gold ornaments from the Market Hall in Budapest. It was between 10 and 20 euros. I got a travel sewing kit cum Swiss Army knife called Swiss Card. Fancy and not cheap but very practical: http://www.victorinox.com/ch/de/Produkte/Schweizer-Taschenmesser/SwissCards/SwissCard/p/0.7100.T

 

I was switched to the German site, you can probably easily access the English language site.

 

When I was in Budapest (a weekend) there were some nice stalls with true Hungarian stuff, a local shop had a stall selling leather-bound notebooks. Very nice. The shop is in a street nearby close to the river cruise docks. I remember prices of 8 to 20 euros.

 

Squarevanman, I agree, souvenir buying is something very individual. :) For myself, in the UK, I always look for fridge magnets and leather bookmarks. They are my souvenirs of happy holidays. Relatively inexpensive and easy to carry.

 

Oh, and honey, I have a relative who almost always gets honey from me as a gift.

 

Baubles hand-blown in Germany are great, but for something that does not break you could go for the jigsaw (plastic) puzzle Christmas baubles from Ravensburger Puzzles. A true German old established company. I love those as a gift for children and playful adults. :D

 

On the Danube in the Wachau valley something made from peaches is something special to the region. The CD can advise you on that I am sure.

 

So, lots of things and prices to choose from. And have a look at the thread http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2252097

 

But be warned, you might get hungry during reading. :D

 

notamermaid

[Poconolady]

I am interested in going on a Christmas market River Cruise along the Danube with a pre-cruise tour in Prague. I just wanna know what souvenirs do most cruisers get and how much they are. Pictures would be lovely, too. Thank you very much.:):):)

 

 

On Christmas Market cruises, the mugs that gluhwein is served in are my souvenirs. They are unique to each market. Also glass tree ornaments with either the year or city name painted on. The mugs are included in the price of the gluhwein, ornaments can range from about 12-30 eu, depending on size and amount of detail.

[Hoyaheel]

. The mugs are included in the price of the gluhwein,

 

I remember reading this over and over when we were planning our cruise, so having completed that cruise (2014) I would like to clarify. You pay a deposit on the mugs when you buy the gluhwein. If you want to keep the mug (or a clean one) you can. IF YOU RETURN the mug, you get the deposit money back. If you keep the mug, the deposit money is the purchase price.

 

So gluhwein isn't as "expensive" for those of us who aren't collecting the mugs.

[Poconolady]

I remember reading this over and over when we were planning our cruise, so having completed that cruise (2014) I would like to clarify. You pay a deposit on the mugs when you buy the gluhwein. If you want to keep the mug (or a clean one) you can. IF YOU RETURN the mug, you get the deposit money back. If you keep the mug, the deposit money is the purchase price.

 

 

 

So gluhwein isn't as "expensive" for those of us who aren't collecting the mugs.

 

 

Or those that want a second or third cup! A lot of times I ask for my gluhwein in a styrofoam cup with a lid and then just take the clean mug in a bag (many of the stands will do this), otherwise, return your empty mug and exchange for a clean one to take home.

[atheneze]

I have been reading that there are a lot of Made in China ornaments at the xmas markets. Is it also fairly easy to find local made ornaments?

[Di Princess]

Notamermaid,

 

When I lived in Pirmasens from 1954 to 1957, my daughter had a small doll toy and I am looking for one. It is known to be the Mickey Mouse for Germany and it is called either an Eigel or Igel. :confused:

 

Do they still have these dolls? Thanks for your help! ;)

[notamermaid]

Hello Di Princess,

 

Igel is the generic German word for any hedgehog. There is an iconic hedgehog called Mecki. Its high time as a comic figure was in the Fifties so you might have got such a toy. It would tie in with the idea of a German Mickey Mouse. Otherwise I do not know. Steiff might make a "Mecki" version, they certainly have great plush toys. For the plastic variation of Mecki, hhmm, I might try second hand online sellers... or just roam around the internet world. Here are some photos (toghether with some text that explains the origins of the hedgehog and its comic books (a magazine comic strip): https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mecki

 

Added: Di Princess, I have just found out that Steiff did produce a toy called Micki, also a hedgehog, in the 1950's. In good condition it is now a collector's item.

 

Toys are a nice gift/Souvenir but unfortunately you need to look very carefully for spotting Germany-made ones. With wooden toys it is certainly possible, plastic not so much. Some Christmas markets have stalls with handmade toys, on the Moselle at Traben-Trarbach there is a small market at weekends only. A local joiner sells wooden "walking" horses. Not cheap but delightful.

 

One word of advice: watch out for the marketing strategy "designed in Germany". It means just that and might disguise the fact that it is made somewhere else.

 

Atheneze: Ornaments, tricky. Hand-blown baubles are available. There is one German company that got slightly in trouble with their customers when they started producing in a far away country as well as in Germany. I do not know if they have changed their strategy. Most ornaments in shops are not produced locally. On Christmas markets it varies a lot.

 

Some charity stalls have nice homemade stuff. Some vendors produce locally for sure. If in doubt just ask nicely who has made the ornaments or where they come from.

 

notamermaid

Edited November 2, 2015 by notamermaid
Additional information

[capriccio]

 

 

Baubles hand-blown in Germany are great, but for something that does not break you could go for the jigsaw (plastic) puzzle Christmas baubles from Ravensburger Puzzles. A true German old established company. I love those as a gift for children and playful adults. :D

 

 

notamermaid

 

notamermaid - thank you for bringing back a wonderful memory of our toddler son playing with wooden Ravensburger Puzzles when we lived in Germany. I had forgotten about them and hope they are stored in a box somewhere in our basement. :p Our granddaughter will be old enough for them in a year or so!

[atheneze]

How much are the gluhwein mugs? And also is it relatively easy to find fridge magnets at the markets? Thanks.

[Poconolady]

How much are the gluhwein mugs? And also is it relatively easy to find fridge magnets at the markets? Thanks.

 

 

Mugs work out to be about 2-3 euros( with gluhwein purchase), and magnets can be found in the stores that are around the markets. Most markets are held in squares, and most of those squares have shops. There probably are some stalls that have magnets.

[G.M.T.]

My Christmas Market souvenirs are a few:

 

Weißer Glühwein - white wine glühwein

 

Jagertee - Black tea with rum, great when it is really cold

 

Eierpunsch - Eggnog with advocaat, rum, white wine, vanille, sugar with whipped cream on top

 

And when we get hungry, we partake in the 1/2 meter Thüringer Bratwurst - that is 19.68 inches in a baguette.

 

We only have to wait another 22 days till the kickoff for the Passau Christmas Market.;)

[berrytea]

My Christmas Market souvenirs are a few:

 

Weißer Glühwein - white wine glühwein

 

Jagertee - Black tea with rum, great when it is really cold

 

Eierpunsch - Eggnog with advocaat, rum, white wine, vanille, sugar with whipped cream on top

 

And when we get hungry, we partake in the 1/2 meter Thüringer Bratwurst - that is 19.68 inches in a baguette.

 

We only have to wait another 22 days till the kickoff for the Passau Christmas Market.;)

Oh, no, looks like we will just miss the Christmas market there. Our stop is earlier that week. Praying you get sone rain so we can cruise in... Mary

[G.M.T.]

Oh, no, looks like we will just miss the Christmas market there. Our stop is earlier that week. Praying you get sone rain so we can cruise in... Mary

 

What is your itinerary?

 

Passau to Regensburg is not looking good at all, Passau to Budapest is open.

 

Weather forecast is little or no rain over the next 10. Worst thing that could is if we get a cold spell, instead of rain we get snow which will not help the river levels at all.

 

Some villages have water restrictions in place and some are having to be supplied via water tankers.

[Piccolopower]

We are still on the Viking Skirnir, presently near Wertheim. Nearly all of our souvenirs have come from grocery stores, including special wines, advent calendars (,59 each!) unique teas, and sample packages of liquor from Bratislava. We love going into department stores, malls, and grocery stores wherever we travel.

[Hydrokitty]

We love going into department stores, malls, and grocery stores wherever we travel.

 

We do too, or I should say I do DH not so much! I always look for food items that I can bring home and make myself or cookies I can eat on the ship. This last trip I bought a box of macarouns in Luxembourg that I limited myself to 2 a day and they lasted the whole trip! Another thing I usually buy is cat food...:D:D I know....but this last time I bought 5 cans of cat food and I have no idea what it was, but the cat went nuts over it!!:D

Edited November 5, 2015 by Hydrokitty

[berrytea]

What is your itinerary?

 

Passau to Regensburg is not looking good at all, Passau to Budapest is open.

 

Weather forecast is little or no rain over the next 10. Worst thing that could is if we get a cold spell, instead of rain we get snow which will not help the river levels at all.

 

Some villages have water restrictions in place and some are having to be supplied via water tankers.

u

 

We are on Viking Tor, Nuremberg to Budapest, on Nov. 20th. First time to Germany and so excited to see as much as possible, hoping that we aren't bussed too much. Looking for small souvenirs to bring back. Passau sounds charming and anxious to spend time there.

We are spending two days post cruise in Budapest.

Thanks for all your posts! Mary

[berrytea]

We are still on the Viking Skirnir, presently near Wertheim. Nearly all of our souvenirs have come from grocery stores, including special wines, advent calendars (,59 each!) unique teas, and sample packages of liquor from Bratislava. We love going into department stores, malls, and grocery stores wherever we travel.

 

Thanks for the suggestions....

[purduemom1]

u

 

We are on Viking Tor, Nuremberg to Budapest, on Nov. 20th. First time to Germany and so excited to see as much as possible, hoping that we aren't bussed too much. Looking for small souvenirs to bring back. Passau sounds charming and anxious to spend time there.

We are spending two days post cruise in Budapest.

Thanks for all your posts! Mary

 

Since you will spend 2 days in Budapest, you can visit The Great Market Hall where you will find all kinds merchandise. I bought packages if Paprika there. They were nicely packaged up with a decorative wooden spoon attached. I bought several for gifts and each was less than $3.00. I don't recall the exact price as I paid in HUF. Several stalls in the Market sell Paprika. There is also a grocery store in the basement of the Market. I used the ATM in the Market to get a small amount of HUF for my purchases- very convenient. We were not there during the Christmas Msrket season.

[berrytea]

Anxious to visit the Market.

[Piccolopower]

Anxious to visit the Market.

 

Just a reminder - Hungary is not on the Euro. Almost made the mistake at an ATM. Some vendors may accept euros, but some do not. Have a great time!

 

We are now in Koblenz. Water is low, but it was sprinkling a little this evening.

[rjscott]

At the Central Market, in addition to the nice paprika gift sets, I found, upstairs, some cute hand puppets for my great- niece, and some beautiful paintedhandblown ornaments. The seller packed the ornament nicely in a nice box which I put in my carryon.

And, although Hungary is not on the euro, there are places at the market that will take euros and even dollars if you are at the end of your trip and don't want to bother with exchanging money for a few small purchases.

 

Becki